Have just heard some interesting statistics about the prison population in the United States, a country where more people are incarcerated per capita than any other nation in the world.

In 2013 2,217,000 people were in prison in the USA, only 731,000 of these were in jail the rest in Federal or State prisons.

The USA has 4.4% of the world's population (again 2013) but housed 22% of the worlds prisoners that year. In 2015 according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the DoJ supervised 6.7 million people. 721,000 inmates were incarcerated on an average day.

The figures show that the United States has locked up more people than any other country: a half million more than China, which has a population five times greater than the U.S. Statistics reveal that the United States holds 25% of the world’s prison population, but only 5% of the world’s people. From less than 300,000 inmates in 1972, the jail population grew to 2 million by the year 2000. In 1990 it was one million. Ten years ago there were only five private prisons in the country, with a population of 2,000 inmates; now, there are 100, with 62,000 inmates. It is expected that by the coming decade, the number will hit 360,000, according to reports.

- Global Research

But what I found interesting was the statistics on production/prison work.

More than just licence plates. US prison populations make, among many other things:

Books for the blindLingeriePark BenchesMilitary uniforms and battle kit. 100% of military helmets. They make holsters and body armour for the police.Baseball capsCanoesJeansMcdonalds UniformsHonda Car ParksDenturesStarbucks packaging

Something like 30% of American white goods are made by the prison population.

What I was reading/watching was trying to make the point that it was ironic that America would be against importing products made in sweat shops or by slave labour but would accept such an input of produce into its economy from prison labour. I appreciate, however, that this is probably a bit of populist flame-waring however it raised an interesting thought!